Twenty-Two
by A Wanderer in the Snow
Summary: It's Harry's birthday, his twenty-second birthday, but something is nagging at his mind. You shouldn't cry on your birthday, should you?


**Twenty-two**

* * *

Twenty-two wasn't a particularly special birthday, Harry knew, but it somehow seemed more important than all his other birthdays put together. Of course, his first ten birthdays were hardly birthdays at all; he couldn't remember his first birthday with his Mum and Dad, so he didn't really count it. From age two till eleven, his birthdays had barely been noticed by the Dursleys; passing by mostly like any other day, or worse, if he had remembered it was his birthday.

The Dursleys; he hadn't thought of them in a while. He had managed a sort of peace with Dudley last time they had spoken, but honestly; it was never going to become friendship, maybe just a respect that they had both grown up and changed. Harry supposed he had, but it was much more noticeable in Dudley. Vernon and Petunia, though, that was different; he was never going to be able to truly forgive them for the misery that had been his childhood.

He shook his head; mindful of the other currently sharing his pillow, but still felt the need to do something physical to clear the unwanted thoughts of his relatives from it. Even so, he'd actually got a card from Dudley and his girlfriend last year, if not a present. His Aunt and Uncle had spoken to him since before the end of the War.

The mass of glossy red hair sighed and snuggled a little closer to his chest; he didn't know how she had done it but Ginny had somehow managed to roll onto his arm during the night. It had meant he had woken up to a sleeping cuddle, which was nice, especially on his birthday; nicer though, was the fact that his fiancée wasn't wearing anything. It still amazed him; he didn't think anyone could have skin that soft and he doubted it was something he would ever get over, not that he really wanted to.

There he was, being side-tracked again while something important was nagging at the back of his mind; it had been all week.

He looked across at the clock on the wall, but couldn't see the time; he didn't want to reach for his glasses and he hadn't decided what he thought of Hermione's idea that he should get contact lenses. She had made a convincing point that without his glasses he looked a little less like himself; it would help him avoid the reporters that still tried to tail him every so often.

He was doing it again…

He let a silent sigh and tried to think-

Something banged against the bedroom door and a small voice shouted excitedly, 'Hawwy! Hawwy! Happy Birffday Hawwy!'

Teddy was awake.

Harry didn't groan; he was already awake and as far as Teddy was concerned, he was now fair game. Ginny did groan though and her eyes fluttered open, 'I was having such a good dream…'

'The terror's awake,' Harry grinned at her, fully awake now, 'Best put some clothes on before you give him a shock.'

Ginny groaned a little louder and began asking, 'What time-'

'Half six,' Harry replied, having reached for his glasses the moment Teddy started banging.

'Hawwy! HAWWY!'

'I'm coming, Teddy Bear!' Harry called, pulling back the covers.

He found a pair of boxer shorts and a t-shirt for himself on his way to the door, tossing an overlarge Harpies t-shirt to Ginny while he did so. They had taken to wearing to clothes to bed whenever Teddy was staying with them, since he had a habit of running into their room at odd hours of the night and morning, but last night… well… They had been going over the wedding plans once Teddy had been put to bed and one thing had led to another…

'Hawwy!' Teddy called once again, but Ginny had struggled into her t-shirt and wriggled so that it had fallen past her thighs, then she slipped back under the duvet cover as Harry opened the bedroom door.

Five year-old Teddy bounced through the opening, his hair colour of the day, turquoise and hugged Harry's leg, 'Happy Birffday Hawwy!' he announced loudly, beaming toothily up at him, 'I gotcha pwesent!'

'A present, Ted?'

'Yup!' beamed the young boy, nodding mightily.

'Where is it then?' Harry asked, rubbing sleep from his eyes and trying not to yawn.

Teddy looked a little confused for a moment, before he said, 'It's in my room.'

'Do you want to go get it then?' Ginny asked kindly, 'Then you can come and join us, how does that sound?'

Teddy shot off back down the corridor and Ginny shook her head, 'How he can have so much energy this early…'

'It's because Andromeda puts him to bed so early,' was Harry's answer as he clambered back under the duvet and kissed her on the nose, 'I think his body clock is off.'

Ginny smiled and kissed him on the lips in return, 'Happy Birthday, Harry.'

Something at the back of his mind flickered; today was important, not just because of his birthday, it was more than that.

But then Teddy was thundering back down the corridor and practically flew into the room, clutching a shiny red and gold wrapped present.

'Gotta pwesent, Hawwy!' he shouted excitedly.

'Shush, Ted, c'mon; get over here.'

Teddy clambered onto the bed, still trying to hold the present in both hands and managed eventually, nestling himself in the small gap between his godfather and Ginny before holding out the rectangular package to Harry, 'Happy Birffday,' he said solemnly. Then he leant back against Ginny to watch Harry open it.

'Thank you, Teddy,' Harry replied, taking the package and examining it before he unwrapped it, wondering what his Godson had got him and which member of the family had helped him with it.

He carefully tore through the gleaming paper and found a small wooden box. Putting the wrapping paper to one side, he examined it carefully for any sign of a Weasley's Wizard Wheezes logo, before attempting to open the lid. It was about ten or twelve inches by four or five; beside him, Teddy squirmed a little in anticipation.

The lid opened smoothly and he found a leather sheath, a little like the scabbard you'd expect for a sword or a long knife. On the underside of the lid was stamped, 'Bruxley Bros. Inc.'

He scanned his memory and came up with them being an American Wizarding Security company, 'It's a wand holster,' he said automatically.

'For your hand,' Teddy added knowledgeably.

'Your wrist, Teddy,' Ginny corrected, 'It goes on your wrist.'

'Ahh…' Harry sighed, picking it out and trying it against is left wrist.

It fit neatly along his forearm, with two straps that would hold it in place; he picked out his old and slightly battered, Holly and Phoenix feather wand from the bedside table and pushed it into the opening where his wrist would be. It slid it neatly, leaving the butt sticking out just enough for him to get a decent grip on it.

'Put it on! Put it on!' Teddy cried, bouncing up and down a little.

'Alright, Ted,' he capitulated quickly and thrust his left hand through the arm straps; he tightened them and realised that once the straps were adjusted, the weight was barely noticeable.

Then, all of a sudden, it vanished.

For a moment, Harry stared at it in shock, then he realised he could still actually feel it attached to his arm; it had somehow been enchanted to become invisible once worn.

'Wow, Teddy, that's really incredible! Thank you!'

Teddy bounced up and gave him a big hug.

'Apparently the American Law Enforcement Wizards wear them,' Ginny said over Teddy's shoulder, 'You'll have to show it to George later, he'll be interested.'

* * *

Harry drifted away from what he could only describe as a horde of Weasleys, although, at the rate the family was expanding; maybe a proliferation of Weasleys would be more appropriate. He'd ask Arthur later, knowing he'd be sure to get a laugh.

He'd had the intention of getting a hold of Bill and finding somewhere private so that they could discuss the ward plans, but Andromeda appeared at his elbow, 'Could I have a word, Harry?'

'Of course, Ma'am, come inside; it'll be cooler and quieter.'

The sunny garden of the Burrow was simply awash with flowers and Weasleys, young and old, old and new. In a few weeks there would be only one unmarried adult Weasley in the family, although Arthur had confided in Harry that he doubted Charlie would ever get married, "He loves his dragons too much and I think there'll be enough children soon to make up for Charlie not having any; Molly's got her hands full already, though she's not going to admit it."

Harry could count six small children without turning to look for them; Teddy and Victoire were trying to chase the gnomes that still stubbornly refused to leave the haven of the Burrow's garden; Fred was eating cake from a precarious position on Ginny's Mum's knee; young Molly was sitting on her father's shoulders and shrieking with delight. The three youngest Weasleys were all fast asleep in the shade of the orchard, despite the racket, with Audrey watching over them over the rims of her sunglasses from a deck chair in sun.

They reached the back door and Harry held it open for Andromeda to go into the kitchen first, then he followed her inside asking, 'So, what did you want to talk about?'

Andromeda had produced a large, leather-bound book from somewhere and was holding it as though it might burst into flames; she had an expression on her face that Harry had never seen before on woman. Normally an aura of cool, distant collectedness hung around her like a veil against the world; a constant reminder of the losses she had suffered. It had taken Harry a long time to get used to her, but Teddy had helped and now she was as much a part of the Weasley family as he was; another stray they had taken in. Now she looked strangely nervous though.

'You know, I didn't get you a birthday present…' she began, but tailed off again.

Harry grinned; if that was all she was worried about, 'Don't worry about it; you have more than enough to cope with, especially with Teddy, without worrying about getting birthday presents for the rest of us.'

'I… I was looking in the attic the other day, for… for something and I came across some of Remus' old things. They passed on to Teddy when… when… he and Dora-'

She choked to halt and Harry stepped forward slowly, arms out, but she collected herself with a deep breath, 'I'm okay.'

Her eyes were watery and Harry wasn't sure if she was talking to herself or to him; she took another, shuddering breath and was suddenly back to her usual self, 'I found this in the attic and seeing as I hadn't got you a birthday present, I thought that you could have this,' she said, holding up the book.

Harry looked at it curiously, wondering what Andromeda had found among Remus' old possessions.

'On the condition that you pass it on to Teddy when it is time.'

Harry looked at Andromeda and smiled, 'Of course, but what is it?'

In reply she simply handed it to him, 'Remus must have forgotten he had it, or thought it was lost.'

Harry took it and felt the soft leather, running a hand down the slightly cracked spine and he realised that whatever it was, it had been read many times. He laid it down on the kitchen table and lifted the front cover to reveal that it wasn't a book at all, but a photo album and it had been given to Remus by his Dad, James Potter. It said so in familiar handwriting, not unlike his own, inside the front cover, '_Happy Birthday, Moony! For mischief managed and mischief yet unaccomplished. All the best, Prongs. _

_ And Lily: trust James to take all the credit! Happy Birthday, Remus! All our love.'_

He turned to the next page and then the next, and found that the album was full of photographs he had never seen before; photos of the Marauders at school. Moony, Padfoot and Prongs lounging by the lake at school; Remus and Peter on a windswept beach somewhere with a large, scruffy black dog Harry recognised; Sirius and a girl he didn't recognise leaning on a fence on the edge of Hogsmeade, the Shrieking Shack visible in the background; James wrestling Remus to floor in a set of flowery robes, and more. Harry didn't know what to say and suddenly something that he hadn't been able to quite remember that morning jumped, fully fledged, into his mind.

Today was his twenty-second birthday.

He sat down in the nearest chair at the table.

Tears began to fall down his face, but they weren't unhappy, not wholly.

The back door opened and Ginny was framed by golden sunlight, 'Where have you got t- Oh… Harry?'

'It's alright, Gin,' He said with a sad smile, 'Thank you, Ma'am,' he looked up at Andromeda, 'It really means a lot to me.'

'That's quite alright,' she replied with a soft smile, seemingly able to understand exactly what was going through his head and in a way, he supposed she did, 'I'll just go check on Teddy.'

Ginny let her go and came across to stand behind him, looking at the photographs in front of him, 'Oh…'

Nothing more needed to be said, she put a hand on Harry's shoulder and squeezed; he reached up and laid his own over it.

The thought that had been hanging over him all week settled into place.

Today he was twenty-two. He was now older than either of his parents had ever been; at the age of twenty-one they had given their lives for their only child in an act that had ended a war and stopped a mass murderer. Neither of them had reached their twenty-second birthday.

In fact, by the time the surviving Marauders had become twenty-two, one was living as a rat, one was going to spend the next thirteen years in Azkaban, and the other was alone and friendless beneath the Full Moon; believing that one of his best friends had effectively killed the others. By the time they had reached twenty-two, the best years of their lives were long behind them, along with their youth.

Suddenly Harry felt quite old.

He smiled though and glanced at the diamond and emerald engagement ring on his fiancée's finger; the best years of his life were only just beginning.


End file.
